


Space Apart

by KuroHi91



Series: Parallel Chances [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Dimension Travel, F/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-03-19 19:51:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3622137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuroHi91/pseuds/KuroHi91
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Parallel Chances. April had vanished in a beam of blue light. So where was she now?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, here is the starting chapter of the squeal! Space Apart! I hope you like it, and please leave a review to let me know what you think!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers, but I do own my OC

The last thing I remembered was a scream being pulled from my lips before my consciousness had faded away, surrounded by that blue light that had become both a gift and a curse for the past three years.

As I stirred awake, there was a familiar feeling of weightlessness to my body. My memories flitted back to the moment when I first felt this: when I fell, literally, into the 1940s. Was this a sign that I was going back to my world? But... I didn't  _want_  to return. Not to that life of meaningless praise and loneliness.

Forcing my eyes open, billions of stars blindingly shone before me, alien constellations that were swirling with colors. Before I even had time to blink, bright blue swarmed my vision again. Pain electrocuted my nerves, tearing me apart from the inside out and locked my limbs in place. My wrist began to burn underneath my bracelet as if it were made of magma. This wasn't right. Something was terribly  _wrong_.

My shoulder slammed into metal with a loud thud, the force of the impact resounding through my bones. I groaned in pain as I rolled onto my back. Beneath me was what felt like a grated platform. Picking myself up with a wince, I found that my shoulder was dislocated. My breath was surprisingly short, and the world seemed tilted as I tried to stand. Taking a second to compose myself, I attempted to discern just where or even when I had ended up this time.

Walls, so indoors...no, underground based on structure. There's smoke...electrical fires from the computers...modern computers...no, advanced... definitely different time... my world or-

"Argh!" I choked out, thoughts interrupted by a man slamming me against a metal beam. His left hand was wrapped around my throat, cutting off airways, while his right held a staff that glowed a dark blue. A foreign feeling sprouted in the pit of my stomach, a sort of familiarity, but dangerous warning. I immediately reached for the gun at my side, but found myself grasping at an empty holster. I had dropped it on Schmidt's ship. Changing tactics, I tried to pry his fingers off with my good arm, but even with my enhanced strength, they wouldn't relent.

"You are... mortal..." the man began, his grip tightening minutely, "and yet you travel through the Tesseract's power unharmed."

My eyes snapped up at the mention of the Tesseract. I silently gasped as a pair of cold blue eyes much like my own stared back, freezing me in place. These eyes however, were darker and dull, cloudy with a mix of emerald at the edges almost as if it was holding the glow back.

"Interesting..." he whispered.

Before I realized what happened, the tip of his staff hovered over my heart.

A powerful force was sent through my mind, shoving me away from the front of my conscience. It violently sorted through my thoughts and memories. My head felt like it was being split into two until my vision went black. When I had regained a sliver of awareness, panic coursed through my veins.

It was a surreal moment, seeing my own body move but not be the one controlling it. 'I' had popped my shoulder back into place during the few seconds of unconsciousness and was currently stealing a gun from the body of a soldier.

Whispers echoed in my mind, unfamiliar to my ears, but I could feel them. They were nudging my body, pulling my limbs along like strings to a puppet. I tried to get control, but every time it was on the edge of my grasp, the whispers grew stronger, holding me back and sapping my strength.

I fought for what felt like hours, but in reality was merely seconds passing by. As the last of my strength faded, my head slumped in defeat and the whispers overwhelmed me.

 _ **-Obey... Obey your master…**_ **-**  they chanted in my mind as blue surrounded me, a suffocating feeling of  _wrong wrong wrong_. In the final moments of awareness, I noticed two things: my bracelet was gone, and there was something  _else_  in my head, hidden from the whispers.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear, looks like I forgot to post the second chapter here. Sorry!

**Third POV**

Loki smirked as the Midgardian woman succumbed to his control. Unflinching, she set her shoulder back into place. After stealing a gun from one of the fallen, she calmly stood next to him, awaiting orders.

From the corner of Loki's eye, he could see one of the men he had attacked earlier beginning to stir. He rushed over and grabbed the man's wrist before his gun could be aimed.

"You have heart as well." Loki whispered as he looked into the man's eyes. He then brought the staff to that man's heart, watching as Clint Barton became one of his soldiers.

Loki made his way through the survivors, enthralling those he deemed useful, and killing the useless.

Meanwhile, Fury quietly made his way to the Tesseract. If anything, he couldn't let Loki have this. Grabbing the cube, he carefully placed it back in its case. Hissing lowly as the cube burned through his gloves. Once the cube was secured, he stood up to leave while Loki was distracted.

"Please don't. I still need that." spoke Loki, stopping Fury in his tracks.

"This doesn't have to get any messier." Fury replied, turning to face the man.

"Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else. I am Loki," he announced, back straight and posture commanding, like the prince he was once raised to be. "Of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."

"Loki, brother of Thor." Dr. Erik Selvig said in realization from the ground, standing once he had found his bearings.

"We have no quarrel with your people." Fury interjected.

"An ant has no quarrel with a boot." Loki countered with snark.

"Are you planning to step on us?" Fury challenged.

Loki smiled. "I come with glad tidings, of a world made free."

"Free from what?"

"Freedom. Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart..." Loki spun around and placed his staff over Selvig's chest, "...you will know peace."

Blue energy traveled through the scepter and into Selvig, tainting his eyes with the glow.

"Yeah, you say peace. I kinda think you mean the other thing."

Clint Barton interrupted. "Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow, dropping 100 feet of rock on us. He means to bury us."

"Like the Pharaohs of old." Fury taunted.

"He's right, the portal is collapsing in on itself. You've got maybe two minutes before this goes critical," Selvig reported.

"Well then..." Loki said as he motioned to April.

April quickly lifted the gun in her hand, firing a direct shot to Fury's heart.

* * *

**April POV**

_**-Nick Fury. Enemy. - Shoot him. -**_ The whispers told me.

I fired the shot as commanded.

_**-Follow Loki and protect him. Secure the Tesseract. -**_ They said.

I followed Loki as a man  _ **-Clint Barton. Ally. -**_ grabbed the Tesseract case and handed it to an older gentleman  _ **-Erik Selvig. Scientist. Ally. -**_

I waited until Loki was seated in the back of the truck before getting in myself.

"Who are they?" asked a woman _ **-Maria Hill. Enemy. -**_

"He didn't tell me," responded Barton.

I sat next to Loki, gun carefully hidden from view.

"Hill!" came Fury's static-filled voice over the communicators, "Barton is-"

Barton and I began to fire at the woman, forcing her to take cover around the corner.

Barton jumped into the driver's seat of the truck and we set off. I continued to fire in the direction of the woman, stalling for time. Emptying half my clip, we ascended a ramp and into the tunnels leading outside the base.

Soon, other vehicles were in pursuit. Ripping the lid of a metal trunk off, I used it as a shield to block the bullets that the agents were firing.  _ **Red, white, and blue flashed in my mind, a ghost of an image.**_

I shook my head and returned fire, successfully puncturing the tires of one that sent it skidding. Loki then delivered a blast of energy from his scepter, offsetting the car's balance as it tore through the metal frame. It began to tumble, coming to an overturned halt that blocked the other agents in pursuit.

A second truck swerved in front of our vehicle, pivoting around and pushing against our front. While Barton and the assailant exchanged rounds, I reloaded my gun. Finally, with a well performed maneuver, Barton managed to slip the other truck. As we approached the exit, a pulse of energy shook the earth.

I gasped as the wave reached us. It felt as if something was reaching out to me, but quickly disappeared as the whispers delivered new orders.

_**-Do not retaliate. Focus on the protection of your King. -** _

I wordlessly complied, hovering closer to Loki's side and bringing up my makeshift shield just as we exited the compound.

A helicopter flew into view, heading straight towards us. Barton veered off the road, scattering dust to make sure our attackers did not have a clear target. Gunshots rang from the helicopter, and I quickly covered Loki, deflecting a few bullets. As I lowered the shield, he fired another blue blast of energy and hit the helicopter.

It crashed to the ground, sending bits of shrapnel sailing through the air at deadly speeds. Soon after, a few more gunshots rang out. I looked over my shield and saw the slowly diminishing form of Director Fury.

We continued to drive throughout several days without rest, heading towards a secure location that was beyond prying eyes. When we finally reached our destination, we descended several floors down into the earth. There were deserted machines scattered across the space, yet they seemed to be fairly new and unused.

* * *

**Third Person POV**

"This was an old research facility, one that was supposed to be used for top secret experiments and weapons development by several privately owned companies. It was abandoned after all the companies fell, forgotten and unrecorded" Barton stated, flipping the switches on the fuse box.

"Begin working on the Tesseract" commanded Loki, directing his attention to the Midgardian woman and the scientist. Loki turned away, taking Barton with him. He needed more pawns in this game of chess.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the third chapter! I watched Age of Ultron yesterday and it was awesome! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Third POV**

Loki had returned with about a dozen more soldiers and a few more scientists that would work on the Tesseract. While he was gone, April and Selvig had already started building the base structure of the machine, the blueprints slowly streaming into their mind through the bond they shared with the staff of the Tesseract.

That Midgardian woman intrigued him. She seemed to exude an aura that was fundamentally different from others. However, he could not figure out what that difference constituted.

 

"Midgardian woman, come here."

She placed the wrench she held onto a nearby table before walking towards Loki, obediently following commands.

"Yes sir?"

"State your name."

"April Robinson."

"Well, Miss Robinson. You are one peculiar mortal. Resistant to the raw destructive power of the Tesseract, yet swayed by the power I wield." He looked at her, examining for any signs of other magical influence. "Tell me your story."

 

* * *

 

**April POV**

"I come from....." a slight twinge of pain bloomed in my head but settled into an eerie hollowness. "....Brooklyn, New York, nearly 70 years ago. I grew up in California and decided to travel there in 1943 during the war, where I signed up for Project REBIRTH, a program for the Strategic Scientific Reserve that was designed to create an army of super soldiers. I was the first test subject, but did not have the full amount of serum injected into me. The first complete super soldier was a man named Captain Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America."

"Yes, Barton has told me... stories of this Captain."

"I was apart of his team, the Howling Commandos. We worked together for around three years until I was pulled from my time by the Tesseract, and dropped here."

"You were pulled **by** the Tesseract? Oh, how **interesting**.” He stepped closer, peering into her eyes as if he were examining what makes her tick.

“However, I have different priorities for now,” he broke his gaze. “You say you were apart of the Captain's team? Therefore, you have knowledge of how his mind works? His weaknesses? His strengths?"

"Yes."

"Tell me more.

* * *

 

I put the finishing touches on the retinal replicator, making sure it would extract a perfect copy of the eye. The blades would slice the eyelid to expose the eyeball. Once there were no interferences, electrical impulses would be sent into the eye and relayed to the receiver, projecting a hologram copy. In the end, the electrical pulses would cause the subjects brain to overload and shut down. That didn't seem to matter to me.

 **\--- _A few sacrifices on the path to victory is a small price to pay for your master's reign---_** the whispers ensured.

I set down the device next to the modified virus arrows.

"Miss Robinson."

I looked to my master.

"Come now, it’s time for the show to begin."

 

* * *

 

**On the Helicarrier - Steve's Pov**

"Near mint. Slight foxing around the edges but---"

"Got a hit! 67% match." said one of the men at the computers, grabbing our attention.

Agent Coulson headed over to the station, while I stood back.

"Wait, crossmatch. 79%." The man announced.

"Location?" Coulson asked, hovering near the screen.

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28 Koenigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding."

"Who is that with him?"

"A woman. Black hair, blue eyes. Running facial recognition now."

A woman? I walked up to the station, catching a look at the screen.

"It can't be," I said, rooted to the spot with surprise, shock, and disbelief.

Coulson turned, "Captain?"

On the screen was someone I believed I would never see again in my life, let alone in the future. "April."

Coulson immediately turned back to the screen, surprise and recognition now bloomed on his face. "April Robinson? As in, Silver Shot Robinson?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but a voice cut my thoughts short.

"Captain." Nick Fury said, tearing our focus away from the picture. "You're up."

 

* * *

 

 **Stuttgart** **, Germany-** **April POV**

Loki led me, arms linked, to the railing of the second story staircase. He was dressed in formal black attire with a dark green and gold scarf, while I wore a black strapless gown with green and gold trim.

Enough cameras had captured us together entering the event as planned. It was time for the next step. He looked over the party-goers, casually scanning the crowd before locating the target, a Dr. Heinrich Schafer. He smiled, a small quirk of the lips, before holding his glass of champagne up for a toast. The signal. I tapped his glass with my own before leaning into him and laughing. I acted to the world as if we were merely a couple on a date, seamlessly activating a short range comm device that alerted the team to move. With my tasks completed, I excused myself to prepare for our escape.

 

* * *

 

**Third Person POV**

"Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example.” Loki says, aiming a blast of power and the man.

However, before the blast could land its mark, Captain America had fallen in between the crossfire. The energy blast rebounded off his shield, striking Loki in the chest.

“You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing,” taunted Steve as he strolled through the crowd, closing the distance between each other.

Loki stood up, a knowing grin dawned on his face. “The soldier. A man out of time. I've heard so much about you from Miss Robinson.”

A look of rage appeared on the Captain's demeanor .

“Enough games Loki. I don't care how you know that name, or are using my memories of her against me, but don't you dare say her name in vain.”

“My dear Captain, she is no illusion.” Loki smirked before firing an energy blast.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray for procrastination not making me want to study, and instead I'm uploading a new chapter! Please leave any feedback it is really appreciated and lets me know you all are reading this!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers, but I do own my OC

**April POV**

Back at the hideout, I began to organize the teams of soldiers that would infiltrate the helicarrier. Barton was distributing weapons and tactical gear, most of it rounded up from members of organizations against SHIELD. I slipped on my silver carbon polymer vest, securing the straps and holstering two handguns. I grabbed a third gun, checking the cartridge.

I noticed Barton eyeing my outfit. “You're gonna be a target in that.” he said as he prepared his bow.

A soft whisper, an echo **_“like... star on your...shield”_** I heard in my mind, before the snap of Barton's bow drew my attention.

I handed him his quiver as well as the special virus arrow.

“Well then, I guess I just gotta shoot them before they shoot me.”

I walked back to the main assembly area, checking equipment and shipments on the way.

At the current state of the Tesseract machine, Selvig had the best knowledge to put on the finishing touches himself during transport. He would work on the machine alone while Barton and I were to take point on the ambush.

“Have you finished the preparations?” I asked Selvig, bringing along some men to haul the crates into the truck on standby.

“Almost. I just need to make sure the Tesseract is stable enough for the trip.” Selvig placed the briefcase on a counter, pulling out a scanner and opening the case.

As soon as the lid was open, a low hum resounded in my head. It felt similar to the whispers, but **not**. I was about to listen closer, but the sharp click as the briefcase was closed cut my attention short as well as the hum. Must have been a trick of the ear.

“Stable and ready for transport.” Selvig reported.

“Good. Departure in 10 minutes. Your arrival time will be five hours from then."

 

* * *

 

**Helicarrier Holding Cell Third Person POV**

“How desperate are you? That you call on such lost creatures to defend you?” sneered Loki, standing in the center of the cage.

“How desperate am I?” Fury questioned, voice raising, “You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can't hope to control, you talk about peace, and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did.”

“Ooh. It burns you to have come so close.” Loki mocked. “To have the Tesseract. To have power. Unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share? And then to be reminded what real power is?”

“Well, let me know if "real power" wants a magazine or something.” Fury quipped as he walked away.

“By the way, Miss Robinson is such an interesting companion. Be sure to tell the Good Captain that.”

Fury stopped for a moment, and stared at Loki before leaving.

Loki grinned.

 

Back at the control center, the team was gathered around the table, watching the stream of Fury’s conversation with Loki.

“He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Banner joked.

“Loki’s gonna drag this out.” Steve stated thoughtfully before turning to the most recent addition. “So, Thor, what’s his play?”

“He has an army called the Chitauri. They’re not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people.” Thor turned to face the others, dropping his hands to his sides. “They will win him the Earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract.”

“An army.” Steve glanced around at the others. “From outer space.”

"So he’s building another portal. That’s what he needs Erik Selvig for," Dr. Bruce Banner said.

“Selvig?" Thor questioned, recognizing the name.

"He's an astrophysicist. ”

“He's a friend.”

“But why would he mention this Robinson? And more importantly, direct that to you Captain.”

“April Robinson was a member of my team as well as one of those who helped with Project REBIRTH. She was very adept in mechanics. As for why he would say that, I suspect that he just wants to mess with my head, throw me off.” Steve supplied.

“Loki is highly skilled in trickery. Are you sure it was not merely a projection?” Thor asked.

“To be honest, I don't know. Loki told me that she wasn’t an illusion, and the last time I saw her... Well, she disappeared in a blue light in 1945. I assumed she was dead.”

“Blue light?” Thor leaned forward, bracing his hands on the table, “That is a sign of the Tesseract's power.”

“She was near it, when it happened.”

“It is quite possible that she was transported through time by the Tesseract. Loki’s arrival was the next point in time when the Tesseract was activated, making it the destination of her journey. But what puzzles me is how she came through intact from exposure to that amount of raw power. The Tesseract is by no means a stable mode of transport for mortals.”

“Fury told me that another person arrived through the Tesseract the same time Loki did. He didn’t say any details, but I’m guessing it was her considering the circumstances. Loki has her, Selvig, and one of ours under some kind of spell.” Natasha interrupted.

Steve nodded in agreement. “Whether she is real is not my main concern now.” Steve looked down in guilt for a moment. “What I really want to know is why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here."

“I don’t think we should be focusing on Loki, that guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him.” Banner interjected.

Thor’s eyes narrowed in offense. “Have care how you speak, Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard and he is my brother.”

“He killed 80 people in two days,” Natasha said flatly.

Thor’s demeanor faltered. “He is adopted.”

 

* * *

 

**Assault Team April POV**

“On your mark Barton.”

With a nod, Barton released the bowstring, sending the arrow sailing to its mark.

“Detonation in 3...2...1.”

With a burst of flames, we began our mission and dropped down into the base.

“Team 1, retrieve Loki.”

“My team, control room.” Barton commanded.

“The rest of you, with me to the engine. Move out.”

 

Agents appeared from all over, firing down the halls. My men were able to take them out, although with a few casualties. I sent my team ahead as I dealt with a second wave.

Two shots fired and one man was already down. I tossed a flash grenade, using that moment to quickly rush into close quarters. Disarming one, I grabbed his suit and tossed him at another agent. A third came with a knife from behind, managing to land a cut on my cheek before I broke his arm. A swift twist snapped his spinal cord.

The first agent came back from behind, grabbing me as the second came around and delivered a knee to my stomach. I curled inward from the blow and used the momentum to flip the one holding me into the other. I drew my gun and fired two shots, one for each head.

I grabbed one of their machine guns, a pistol in the other hand, and made my way to the engine. I watched as the last of my team was shot down. I rounded the corner and saw Captain America standing on the platform above. **\---That is an enemy. Shoot him.---** I followed orders. Firing the last few rounds of the pistol, I quickly tossed it aside and held up the machine gun.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So school is about to start or has already started for some people. Decided to post a chapter because of that "last days of summer blues." Please leave a comment and kudos, the more I get, the more I am inspired to write!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers, but I do own my OC.

**Third POV**

"April! It's me, Steve! Don't you remember?" Steve yelled as he dodged a bullet. Unfortunately, the destroyed platform was too small and he slipped, tumbling over the edge. He quickly grabbed a nearby wire, stopping his fall, but was now hanging thousands of feet above the Earth.

Meanwhile, an agent came out of the hallway behind April, weapon drawn. She heard the footsteps and turned to deliver a sharp blow to his gun with hers. The gun flew from his hand, disarming him. Regrettably, the impact from the maneuver left her gun inoperable. Tossing the useless firearm aside, she delivered a well-placed kick to the man's head, snapping his neck.

Looking at the broken remains of the cheap firearm on the floor, she cursed, quickly pulling another pistol from her holster. As she turned back to her target, she found him dangling, defenseless.

_**-Shoot him.-**_ She raised her gun, aimed...

Steve had almost made it to the platform. He needed to stall. He needed to make April remember something, anything that would make her hesitate.

"Don't you remember  _ **Howard?**_ "

Howard.

A sharp jab pierced her mind, making her raise one hand, clutching her head in pain.

" _ **Howard. An image of a smiling man, a flash of silver fabric, a flash of blue. 'It's a date.' An overwhelming feeling of Love,"**_ resonated within her head.

Using that moment of distraction, Steve climbed the remaining distance and pulled the lever.

The sound of metal creaking snapped April from her mental conflict. She held up her gun once again, aimed, and...

Iron Man blasted straight through the air, tackling April and knocking her out as her head hit a wall.

Rolling to the side, the armor began to shut down, eyes diminishing in light. The damage was extensive. With a grunt, Iron Man stood and pressed a small manual release. This disengaged the attachment mechanisms on his helmet first, and he slipped it off.

Static sounded on the comms before Fury's voice was heard. "Agent Coulson is down."

"A medical team is on its way to your location," responded one of the remaining agents.

"They're here. They called it."

The comms were silent.

Loki sat in the jet, filled with rage. He had lost the Midgardian woman. He lost the most interesting piece on the board.

"Once I rule this pathetic world, I will hunt her down and find just what makes her tick. What makes her so worthy of being chosen by the Tesseract?"

* * *

 

**Recovery Room April POV**

_**A woman with warm hazel eyes smiling at me, a feeling of protection, my mother. A man, strong and always by my side, sad eyes as he leaves the house in combat gear.** _

_**He returns, we are so happy, my father. Dead, drunk driver collided with them on the way to pick you up. It was your fault.** _

_**The smell of burnt flesh filled my nostrils. 'No, Please it'll kill him!' I could do nothing. It's your fault.** _

_**A photo on the table, "I'll be back soon, don't miss me for too long OK?" Cool metal running along my wrist. Blue symbols glowing as I ran my finger over them.** _

_**A flash of blue. A trash can lid being held like a shield. A charming smile and a glass of whiskey. A kiss.** _

_**Shots everywhere. Running... running... Reaching over the side of a train, trying to catch something…someone... the taste of vodka and tears... a warm hug. "It wasn't your fault."** _

_**Howard. Howard. Howard.** _

_**A maniacal laugh. A red skull like blood. Blue light once again. A scream.** _

* * *

 

I awoke in a strange place, a scream sounding from my lips. A flash of red on the edges of my vision. Schmidt.

"You Nazi bastard! You killed him! You killed Bucky! I swear I will..." I shouted in a mix of German and English, struggling against bonds around my wrists. Gunfire echoed in my head, my breath short and heart racing.

"Miss Robinson, calm down!" said a firm voice in English without a hint of an accent. A woman's voice. Someone was holding me down, pushing at my shoulders.

My vision cleared long enough to realize that the person talking to me was, in fact, a woman. HYDRA didn't employ women, too bigoted. A quick look around the room told me that the facilities were modern. Too modern for 1945. I remembered the blue light, the travelling through dimensions, through time. _"This wasn't the war."_  I concluded.  _"So where, no, when am I?"_

The confusion must have shown on my face.

"My name is Natasha Romanoff. You are in a recovery room in SHIELD's Temporary Headquarters. You were put under some kind of mind control. Can you remember your name?" said the woman, cautiously releasing her hold on me.

I took a deep breath, controlling my breathing. "April Robinson."

"Can you remember anything from the past few days?"

"I remember... A man, dark hair, tall, wore green and gold. An older fellow, a scientist... Sel...Sel.." I furrowed my brows, trying to spark my memories.

"Selvig" Natasha provided. "He's an astrophysicist. Do you remember anything about the machine you worked on for the Tesseract?"

"Not much. I think I only worked on the basic structure. I mostly remember making a retina replicator of some... sort...Oh my god." My face fell as I recalled the schematics.

"It killed that man. I killed those soldiers. I knew it would kill, I knew what I was doing, but...  **I didn't care.**  I...I killed innocent people and  **I didn't care**." I let my head fall back on the chair with a thud. Closing my eyes, I held back the tears of guilt.

"That wasn't you Miss Robinson. That was Loki. That blood is on his hands, not yours."

I took a deep breath. It wasn't a time of mourning.

"What year is it?" I asked, opening my eyes to stare directly at Natasha.

Her eyebrow raised slightly.

"Even I can tell that this isn't 1945. Everything is too clean. I remember seeing things, people, places, that are too different. I did fight in Germany you know."

"2012." She responded flatly.

The number hit me harder than expected. Nearly 70 years.

"H-Have you heard of the family name Stark before?"

"Yes. Tony Stark is one of the modern world's best engineers."

Tony Stark?

"He's Howard's son," said a familiar voice from the doorway.

I looked up. Steve.

"Steve. Tell me this is some kind of joke."

His face was blank.

"Come on Steve. Please tell me that the rest of the Commandos are out there with Howard and they pulled this joke together." I pleaded, desperation creeping into my voice. "Please."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry April, but it's really 2012."

I couldn't believe it. That means that everyone, the Commandos, Peggy,...Howard… are either dead or a breath away from it.

"Then.. how are you still alive? If it really is 2012, that's borderline 70 years. You should be an old grump by now, super soldier serum counted." I scanned him from head to toe. He was the same height, same face, same everything as all those years ago.

"I was frozen. Crashed the plane into ice to stop the bombs before they hit shore. The serum helped keep me alive."

I shot him a look of pure 'you say what now?' and raised a finger even though my hands were bound to armrests.

"One: That is the stupidest thing you have ever done." I lifted a second. "Two: You said that this Tony Stark was Howard's son." A bit of hope lit in my chest. "Is he still...?"

Steve solemnly shakes his head.

"Howard and his wife Maria died in a car accident, leaving their only son, Anthony Stark." He recited, like he was reading from a news article.

Anthony... He remembered. The tears that I had been trying to hold back started to fall from my eyes.

"You gonna be alright?"

A small, broken laugh of disbelief escaped from me.

"I had a date."

"Me too April...me too..."


	6. Chapter 6

**April POV**

Steve came over and took off the restraints, letting me rise and give him a hug.

“I thought you were dead.” He mumbled.

“I thought you were smaller.” I quoted from Bucky, remembering the story from so long ago. God, was it really that long? 

Steve gave a sad laugh before he shifted into Captain mode.

“We've got to go.”

“Where?”

“I'll tell you the situation on the way.”

“Captain Rogers,” Natasha politely intervened, “She still needs to be debriefed on...”

Steve cut her off with a raised hand, locking eyes with her.

“Can you fly one of those jets?”

Natasha dropped the subject.

A man, one that I hazily recognized, came out of the restroom.

“I can.”

He looked over to me, and I remembered his name, Clint Barton. He nodded towards me, I nodded back, a silent acknowledgement of what we had been through, a shared experience.

Meanwhile, Steve and Natasha exchanged similar nods, reassuring each other that nobody was under Loki's influence anymore.

 

“You got a suit?" Steve asked.

”Yeah.”

“Then suit up and meet me at the hangar,” he turned to me. “April.”

I got up from the chair and stood at parade rest, a small smile on my face.

"Follow me. I've got something for you."

 

We made our way to an armory type room. Steve headed straight for the wall where his shield hung proudly. Underneath it was a metal box. He opened it and picked its contents up.

“Held onto this for you. Thought you would want it back.”

In his hand was my vibranium pistol, all polished and clean.

I slowly reached out but hesitated the last second.

“Are you sure? What if I'm still under that mind control?”

“I trust you.” He grabbed my hand and placed it on the grip. “Plus, you took a pretty hard hit to the head. I doubt that whatever it was is still there.”

I went through the motions, checking the cartridge and mechanisms. All were in working order.

“That reminds me, I need to give whoever tackled me a good ol’ smack to the head as payback.”

Steve just smiled before pulling the cowl over his head. He grabbed his shield, looking as if we were going into another war. For all I knew, that was exactly what we were doing. In fact, we never left.

I looked at the gun in my hand, smiling at the familiarity before sticking it in my holster.

"Check under the padding of the box, there's a little something I think you'll like." Looking back in the metal box, I found several compatible magazines underneath the padding. Underneath those, I noticed a glimmer of silver.

I grabbed for it, pulling out a silver half mask with black trimming that covered around my eyes.

"A man named Phil Coulson designed that for you." Steve said, his voice going soft with sadness, an obvious sign of what happened. "He was a good man, would be so happy to see it put to use."

"Phil Coulson, it would be my honor." I said in almost a whisper.

I ran my fingers over the material before slipping it on. Loki would pay for what he has wrought.

Grabbing a belt, I loaded it full of ammo, and secured a few knives to it.

“Steven Grant Rogers, you better give me the full story when this is all over.”

“You betcha.”

 

* * *

 

 

**Third POV**

As they headed for New York, Steve gave a quick rundown of the situation and members of their team called ‘The Avengers.’

Counting on her fingers, April said, “So we got two assassins, a demi god from Norse Mythology, a man who becomes huge and indestructible due to rage, a man in a high tech suit, and two relics from the 1940s. And there are aliens. We are fighting aliens. From space. And that isn’t even the whole story?”

“Nope.”

April dug the heels of her hands against her eyes before giving out a loud sigh.

“Okay! Good talk. Anything else I need before we battle aliens from another galaxy?” she said, a hint of sarcasm leaking though her voice.

“Just this.” Natasha interrupted, carrying a small box. Opening it up revealed a communicator earpiece.

“This is a communicator. Similar to radi--”

April quickly held her hand up. Taking the comm from the box, she turned it in her fingers before activating it and placing it in her ear.

“Technology is not a distant concept for me Miss Romanoff.”

A small quirk in the corner of Natasha’s lips appeared before she turned to head back to the cockpit.

Steve smiled at April.

“Kid gloves, I tell ya. The agents that were in charge of ‘updating’ me on current events treated me like I would keel over when they showed me one.”

* * *

 

**April POV**

I smiled at Steve before sitting down on the side benches. My mind was still a bit jumbled with memories from whatever Loki had done. I remembered telling Loki about Steve, about myself. The strangest thing was that I had never mentioned coming from another universe. My eyes fell onto my now empty wrist. The bracelet was gone, so that means I couldn’t go back to my original world anyways.

When Loki asked me to tell my story, I was about to tell him the truth, but instead, I told him lies. They were warped versions of my story, but felt like the truth to me at the time. However, looking back, I know it was a lie. Why?

 

* * *

 

 

**Stark Tower Third POV**

“The Chitauri are coming.” Loki boasted, staring out at the skyline. “Nothing will change that.” He turned to look at Tony. “What have I to fear?”

“The Avengers.” Tony immediately replied as he poured himself a drink. He paused for a second before rolling his eyes. “That’s what we call ourselves. Sorta like a team. Earth’s mightiest heroes type thing.”

“Yes, I’ve met them.” Loki tested, a triumphant grin on his lips.

Tony gave a sarcastic smile and laugh. “Yeah takes us a while to get any traction, I’ll give you that one. But let’s do a head count here. Your brother, the Demi god.”

Loki looked away at the mention of Thor, shifting his hold on the scepter in frustration.

Meanwhile, Tony stealthily slipped on the tracking bracelets for his new Mark 7 armor.

“A supersoldier, living legend, who, kind of lives up to the legend.”

“A man with breathtaking anger management issues.”

“Couple of master assassins, and you, big fella,” Tony pointed at Loki, “You’ve managed to piss off every single one of them.”

“That was the plan.” Loki smirked.

Tony took a sip of his drink. “Not a great plan. When they come, and they WILL, they'll come for you.” Tony walked around the bar, facing Loki.

“I have an army.” Loki threatened.

“We have a Hulk.” Tony immediately retaliated with confidence.

“I thought the beast had wandered off…”

“You're missing the point!” Tony interrupted. “There's no throne, there is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we'll avenge it.”

Tony downed the rest of his glass. “We’ve already got your archer monkey and Cap’s lady friend back on our side. Hurts to lose huh.”

Loki smirked, “Oh, no worries there. Once I rule this pathetic realm, I will capture that woman once again.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “I’m guessing you take being dumped real seriously huh.”

Loki cocked his head to the side, a grin forming on his face. “You have no idea what she is do you? The amount of power she embodies.” Loki stepped closer. “Once I break her, I will destroy your pitiful race once and for all. Using the power of one chosen by the Tesseract.”

“I think we can take on you and your glowstick of destiny.”

“How will your friends have time for me, when they are so busy fighting you?” Taking the final few steps to close the distance, Loki wielded his scepter and touched it to Tony’s chest.

A metallic cling sounded, and the energy from the scepter dissipated into nothing.

Confused, Loki attempted again, and was met with the same result.

“This usually works.”

“Well, performance issues. Not uncommon. 1 out of 5...”

Loki quickly shut the mortal’s rant, grabbing the man’s throat and tossing him aside like a rag doll.

As Tony stumbled to stand again, Loki once again took ahold of him.

“You will all kneel before me.” Loki snarled before hurling Tony through the window 90 stories above ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the next chapter! Sorry for such a long wait. I have a lot of stuff planned out already, it's just filling in the spaces between the events that is hard to do. Thanks for reading! Make sure to leave a review!


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